ShareThisTiger Woods turned 35 last Thursday. That's not exactly graybeard territory, but it's a reminder Woods must rediscover his golfing mojo -- soon -- if he wants to surpass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championship victories.
And, as you may have noticed, Woods has accumulated way more tabloid headlines than major wins the past couple of years.
Woods remains stuck on 14 as he eyes the upcoming PGA Tour season. If his 30th birthday offered a chance to reflect on his remarkable career to that point -- he won 10 majors in his 20s -- then this birthday sounds some warning bells.
Golf history flows with great players who stopped winning majors once they reached their mid-30s. Tom Watson (eight), Arnold Palmer (seven) and Byron Nelson (five) combined to win 20 -- but none after birthday No. 35.
There have been several late bloomers, sure. Ben Hogan won eight of his nine majors after turning 35, and Sam Snead won five of his seven. Phil Mickelson didn't win his first until he was nearly 34, and he has added three more since he turned 35.
Among the all-time greats, only Nicklaus and Gary Player thrived on both sides of the benchmark. Nicklaus won 12 majors before hitting 35 and six more thereafter, and Player won five before and four after.
Woods will win another major or two. He's too talented and too driven not to win again, especially if he really is putting his personal problems behind him.
But here's another scenario worth considering: Woods contends in nearly every major but struggles to close the deal. That's the pattern of the past two years, a span in which he has posted five top-10 finishes in majors without a victory.
The landscape has changed since he outlasted Rocco Mediate at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. More players than ever are capable of winning on the game's grandest stages -- nine different players have won the past nine majors.
The fields are deeper and Tiger is getting older. He still has time to catch Nicklaus, but it's no longer the smart bet.
(E-mail Ron Kroichick at rkroichick(at)sfchronicle.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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